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Outstanding Achievements of Young Alumni Award
Young leaders
This award recognises outstanding alumni aged 35 or younger who have achieved significant success or impact in a short career span.
To be eligible, nominees must meet the following selection criteria:
- Nominees must have graduated from the University of Sydney.
- Nominees must be aged 35 and younger at the close of nominations and demonstrate significant achievement in industry, professional or research sectors.
2024 winner
Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks
Bachelor of Arts '15, Bachelor of Laws '17, Master of Peace and Conflict Studies '19
Founder, Missing Perspectives
What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
One of the (many!) lessons I have learned over the last few years is to take the risk and try new things that might seem scary at the time. It's a mindset that has served me personally and professionally - but it definitely took me a while to get to that point.
I was that university graduate with a 10-year career plan all mapped out - but my career ended up taking twists and turns that I would never have expected or planned. As a law graduate who wanted to become a human rights lawyer, I would never have pictured myself working at a media startup or journalism - but looking back, all the roles early-on in my career really pointed me in this direction and you can really connect the dots looking backwards. Even the roles that didn't seem like a good fit for me at the time ended up teaching me lessons that I took into the next role I embarked on.
The key thing to remember is your dream job might not exist yet, so just follow your passion and gut instincts, take the risks, and see where it takes you.
I couldn't have had a better undergraduate experience at USYD - it was where I met some of my best friends, and partner! My fondest memories would have to be the amazing guest lecturers who would come in and talk at the law school - from Jennifer Robinson, Michael Kirby to Geoffrey Robertson. They were so generous with their time in coming to talk to us, and instilled in me the passion for social justice and desire to pursue human rights law after I wrapped up my studies. I also spent far too much time at the Taste cafe!
Missing Perspectives is feeling bigger than ever at the moment, and I'm really excited to launch our app later this year. We're also keen to explore new ways to platform young female storytelling - whether it's moving into video, podcasting, and production.
Aside from that, I'm really excited to be starting to write, and am looking to work on a book this year (watch this space!). It's on a topic I'm really passionate about, and I'm looking forward to putting it out into the world.
Biography
Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks is the Founder of Missing Perspectives, a journalism start-up focused on amplifying underrepresented young female voices in the news industry. She began her career as a human rights lawyer, working in policy at the United Nations, the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
She founded Missing Perspectives in 2021, prompted by the experience of watching an all-male panel of journalists and commentators discuss women’s issues in Afghanistan. Since its inception, Missing Perspectives has reached an audience 1.5 million across 120 countries and earned global praise, including from actress Reese Witherspoon and her production company, Hello Sunshine.
The key thing to remember is your dream job might not exist yet, so just follow your passion and gut instincts, take the risks, and see where it takes you.
Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks
Phoebe's commitment to prioritising lived experiences, especially in reporting on critical world events, ensures that stories are told by those who live them giving a nuanced and authentic perspective on global issues.
In 2024, Missing Perspectives is seeking to expand their Missing Perspectives Directory, which connects leading newsrooms with up-and-coming female reporters, particularly from non-Western backgrounds, to foster a more diverse newsroom.